How do you explain this to the cops?
🌲 Over the river and through the woods: See the best time to leave for Grandma’s house (or anywhere else) without arguing. In Apple Maps, press the Now button on the left to open a calendar. In Google Maps, tap the three dots at the top right. For both, select Leave/Depart at or Arrive by and hit Done.
Car companies are tracking your driving
Are you a speed racer? You’re being watched. Major car companies are watching how you drive and selling your data to third-party brokers. Plus, discover secret codes to protect your family from scams and why the FCC is cracking down on illegal jammers.
It’s gaining traction: Pirelli and Bosch have teamed up to create a “cyber tire” loaded with sensors to track the temp, pressure and road conditions so your car can adjust instantly. What a plus for hydroplaning (when tires lose grip on wet roads). Someday, these tires will talk to other tires to warn them about road conditions. Can you imagine? “Hey, watch out for the pothole!”
20 drivers stranded
When GPS directions led them to a snowy, unpaved road. Drivers were trying to avoid traffic on an Oregon interstate. It took hours for rescuers to clear a path. Always double-check your GPS directions. I changed my GPS so instead of hearing, “You have reached your destination,” it says, “Whoomp, there it is!”
Every 13 miles
How often Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode requires human intervention. In a 1,000-mile test, drivers had to intervene to prevent dangerous behavior more than 75 times. The good: Self-driving mode brakes for pedestrians and lets oncoming cars through. The bad: It also runs red lights and drives into oncoming traffic. Just say no.
Torque of the town: In the EU, all new cars are required to alert drivers when they’re driving too fast. If a bill passes in California, every 2030 and later model would need GPS or a front-facing cam, along with a function to deliver notifications to drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph. Wonder where all that data will end up …
Will AI revolutionize your next doctor's visit? Rep. David Schweikert thinks so
Can artificial intelligence make healthcare faster, cheaper, and more convenient? Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., believes it can transform the medical landscape. From AI-powered diagnostics to driving down drug prices and providing free wearable tech for everyone, AI has the potential to overhaul the way we experience healthcare.
Know a policeman? Ford is recalling 85,000 Explorer Police SUVs due to an engine fire risk. The recall affects models from 2020 to 2022 with 3.3L hybrid or gas engines. No fix yet, but Ford will notify owners by mail. In the meantime, Ford says to stop driving your vehicle if you hear any strange engine noises.
🎙️ Speaking badly of the dead making money is a grave mistake: AI is driving new money into the estates of Hollywood legends in ElevenLabs’ Reader App. You can listen to audiobooks narrated by stars like Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds and Sir Laurence Olivier. They only needed 30 minutes of audio to create these eerily accurate “professional voice clones.”
This doesn’t make cents: Honda, Hyundai and GM sold driving data for pennies. A letter to the FTC revealed data broker Verisk paid Honda 26 cents per car and Hyundai 61 cents per car. The info was then sold again to auto insurers. Hello, higher premiums. Opt out by going into your infotainment system’s Settings and looking for Data Privacy or Data Usage.
Big Brother controls your driving
Should the government keep an eye on your driving habits? It’s starting in Europe, and it might be headed our way soon.
Check your car: A guy who bought a Toyota Corolla discovered a hidden GPS he thinks the dealer installed. When the car’s battery died, he checked the OBDII port and there was a tracker. Uh, why? Theories range from making it easier to steal to selling info on driving habits to insurance companies. Here’s how he found the tracker.
Self-driving cars do not drive themselves
Can you really trust your car’s self-driving mode? Turns out, study after study shows it’s not as safe as you might think.
Your car is watching
Automakers and insurance companies are teaming up to share data on your driving habits. Also, EV sales are struggling, and there are issues with Airbnb. I speak with a guy whose identity was stolen, and now the scammer is using his info to con others.
Say “No way” to Waymo: A Phoenix police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo veering into oncoming traffic. Waymo says the vehicle was confused by the construction signs. Nobody got hurt. Check out the video here.
Police pull over a Waymo driving on the wrong side of the road
Waymo says the vehicle was confused by construction signs and stayed in the oncoming lane for 30 seconds because “it was blocked from navigating back into the correct lane.” Luckily, no one was hurt.
100-degree heat
Cuts your EV’s driving range by 31%. It’s all based on the outside-versus-inside temp; 100 degrees is 30 degrees above a comfortable 70-degree interior. A 10-degree winter day puts you 60 degrees below 70, and so it sucks up 51% of your battery to keep you warm. That’s nearly a full percentage point per degree!